ISO anti-scarring cream (bike fall)

[doctoranda]

I am a beginning biker and just fell off my bike and have an ugly long road rash type of gash in my calf. Skin came off but it is not very deep. I was wondering if anyone has recs for what to put on it to prevent scarring. 

[sadlebred]

First of all, you need to let it heal. Make sure all of the dirt is out of it. I recommend Tegaderm as long as the injury is not a puncture wound. A puncture wound should be seen by a doctor first. Read all of the instructions for Tegaderm; it's good stuff when you know how to use it. It can be left on for several days even in the shower. If you don't want to use Tegaderm, keep in moist and covered for a week or so. Anti-bactieral cream is not needed. You can use Vaseline or Aquaphor.

When the road rash is COMPLETELY healed, get Mederma at the pharmacy or on Amazon. In a retail store you may have to ask at the Pharmacy counter for it. It's not cheap (don't get the cheap stuff--you get what you pay for!), but it's worth every penny. You have to use it every single day on the scarring following the instructions. Do not under any circumstances use it on an unhealed cut; it can cause the cut to become inflamed and infected. Mederma won't prevent all scars from forming but will cut down on the scar that forms.

Option 2--Embrace the road rash and scars. My legs look like they've been in a battle, and I wear the scars proudly.

As with any medical issue, always go to your doctor if you think the road rash is infected, if it's not healing, etc.

[brewco]

Keep the wounds moist with ointment and covered (non-stick pad or saran wrap is best for covering)- do not let it form scabs. Scabs will cause the healing to take longer and are prone to scarring.

The best scar care products are silicone based. I work in skin cancer surgery with plastic surgery reconstruction and we recommend any product that is silicone based- scar away is one you can find in the bandage aisle at most stores. As stated above, you need to wait until the wound is FULLY healed before starting any type of scar care products.

[meganew]

I don’t have any scarring cream help (I’ve just always used regular old neosporin) but I wanted to say I’m sorry you fell : (

[puppylove64]

Be sure to wear sunscreen every day for the next year. It will help keep the scar from being noticeable

[doctoranda]

Jun 16, 2019 6:36:20 GMT -5 meganew said:

I don’t have any scarring cream help (I’ve just always used regular old neosporin) but I wanted to say I’m sorry you fell : (

awww thanks!

[osulori]

Aw man, sorry you fell! I'm not a cyclist but have had my share of falls while running and it's no fun Ditto the recs for ointment and sunscreen-my friend is a nurse in a dermatologist's office and she's told me that Mederma etc is fine but that Aquaphor works just as well.

[Susie]

Maybe I was just lucky, but I didn't feel I needed anything once the road rash healed after I had a nasty crash a few years back.  My front tire blew out going downhill at about 35 mph during a triathlon, and I went over the handlebars.  No serious injuries (thanks helmet!), but I had road rash from ankle to elbow and shoulder blade on my right side.  The only place that scarred was on my ankle, where it went particularly deep (over the bone).  I used a lot of gauze, aquaphor, and eventually tegaderm so I could wear clothes and go back to work/showering.